REVISION OPPOSED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26909, 22 October 1948, Page 6

REVISION OPPOSED

ENGLISH PRAYER BOOK SYNOD DISCUSSION Revision of the Common Prayer Book was opposed by cleric and lay members of the Synod of the Diocese of Dunedin when it debated at length yesterday a motion in the form of recommended methods of revision to the Standing Committee of General Synod, which has been authorised to set-up a Commission for that purpose. Synod, in a division, rejected the motion, 12 clergy and 19 laiety voting against it, with 16 clergy and 7 laiety voting in its favour.

The motion was by the .Rev. J. N. Thompson, who sought the Standing Committee of General Synod to include English personnel when setting up a Commission to revise the Common Prayer Book. Other clauses in the motion provided for a revision part by part over a trial period of five years in which the Commission would issue additional services to be used on the approval of diocesan bishops. Much of the discussion on the motion concerned the wisdom of revising the Prayer Book, speakers with a few exceptions maintaining that the 1662 Prayer Book was accepted and respected by both the clergy and congregations. The chairman, Bishop Fitchett. said he doubted whether the law could allow for a revised Prayer Book for trial use on an optional basis. The 1662 Prayer Book was binding by Act of Parliament for English churchmen. Since the church in New Zealand had itself adopted the book, he questioned whether New Zealand was in a position to alter it where English chyrch-' men were not able to do so.' Appeal for Funds Synod, after receiving the report of the Commission on Church Extension, in which was stressed the need for building up church funds, decided to authorise the Standing Committee to issue an appeal for funds, and to appoint an organiser. . . . , Session Concludes Synod, at its concluding sitting last night, passed four bills, and another was read a second time. The bills passed were: Mr A. H. Allen, to amend the Regulations of the Parishes Statute, 1892; Mr J. T. Dawson, to amend Sunday Statutes; the Rev. R. Newcombe, to amend the Clergy Pension Fund Statute, 1925; Mr W. E. Earnshaw, the General Church Fund Statute, 1892. Bishops’ Court

The Bishop approved the Bishop’s Court as follows:-—Clergy: Dean A. C. H. Button, Archdeacons L. G. Whitehead, J. A. Lush, W. A. Hamblett, Canon C. E. P. Webb, the Rev. R. Newcombe. Laiety: Messrs J. T. Dawson, F. W. Knight, G. R. Ritchie, J. Simpson, W. Grieve, C. H. Hargest.